Appointment of Gen Suhag as army chief final: Jaitley

This comes after senior Cong leader Anand Sharma raised the issue of certain tweet messages against Army Chief-designate by ex army chief Gen V K Singh

Government on Wednesday said the appointment of General Dalbir Singh Suhag as army chief was final.

Defence Minister Arun Jaitley's statement in the Rajya Sabha came when Congress leader Anand Sharma raised the issue of tweet messages against army chief-designate by former army chief General V K Singh, minister for development of the northeast region and minister of state for external affairs.

Jaitley said the United Progressive Alliance government had made the appointment a few weeks ago and it was a practice "we keep" some issues outside the "realm of inter-party politics".

He said the matter should not be raised directly or indirectly.

Sharma had demanded General Singh's removal from the council of ministers saying the matter was "very serious" and the comments by a minister did not "augur well".

The issue was raked up against the backdrop of the defence ministry telling the Supreme Court in a recent affidavit that the decision of General Singh, then army chief, to impose a promotion ban on Suhag, then 3 Corps Commander, was "illegal and premeditated".

Soon after the matter came to light, Gen Singh said the "affidavit is the same as it gave to the Armed Forces Tribunal under protective and conniving UPA".

He justified his decision to impose a discipline and vigilance ban on Lieutenant General Suhag saying, "If a unit kills innocents, does dacoity and then the head of the organisation tries to protect them, should he not be blamed?"

Cong attacks V K Singh, questions PM's 'silence'

Questioning the "silence" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the controversy surrounding V K Singh, the Congress on Wednesday demanded quick action from the government on the issue and slammed the former general for his remarks against the army chief-designate.